Character Relationship Map: Once Upon a Time

Characters

• Bai Qian / Si Yin / Su Su (played by Liu Yifei) — protagonist

  Bai Qian is a fox goddess, a disciple of Mo Yuan, and the central figure of the story. Under the name Si Yin, she falls in love with her master; later, as Su Su, she meets and marries Ye Hua. After re...

• Ye Hua / Mo Yuan (played by Yang Yang) — supporting

  Ye Hua is the Crown Prince of the Heaven Tribe and Bai Qian's betrothed, while Mo Yuan is her former master and the God of War. Ye Hua loves Bai Qian despite their tragic past as Su Su, protects her f...

• Qing Cang (played by Kevin Yan) — supporting

  Qing Cang is the Demon King whose power drives the story's central conflict. Long ago, Mo Yuan sacrificed himself to seal him away, but Qing Cang eventually breaks free. Ye Hua then confronts and sacr...

• Su Jin (played by Li Chun) — supporting

  Su Jin is Ye Hua's side concubine and an antagonist in Bai Qian's tragic past. After discovering that Su Su was Ye Hua's human lover, she falsely accused her of a crime. Her deception led to Ye Hua go...

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Su Jin → Ye Hua / Mo Yuan (Romantic Side Concubine) — Su Jin has a formally recognized but secondary romantic position beside Ye Hua.

  The plot identifies Su Jin as Ye Hua's side concubine.

• Bai Qian / Si Yin / Su Su → Ye Hua / Mo Yuan (Professional Master And Disciple) — Mo Yuan trained Bai Qian when she lived as Si Yin.

  70,000 years ago, Bai Qian, using the name Si Yin, was a disciple of Mo Yuan, the God of War.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Bai Qian / Si Yin / Su Su → Qing Cang (Narrative Opposing Forces) — Bai Qian's story is ultimately tied to the defeat and resealing of Qing Cang.

  Bai Qian witnesses Ye Hua sacrificing himself to lock up Qing Cang, the Demon King.

• Ye Hua / Mo Yuan → Qing Cang (Conflict Demon King Opponent) — Ye Hua personally confronts Qing Cang as the final supernatural threat.

  Ye Hua takes it upon himself to defeat Qing Cang after hearing that the Demon King has broken free.

• Bai Qian / Si Yin / Su Su → Su Jin (Conflict Adversaries) — Su Jin's deception directly causes Bai Qian's deepest remembered trauma.

  Su Jin falsely accused Su Su of a crime, causing Ye Hua to gouge out Su Su's eyes.

Story Analysis

A tragic love story links Bai Qian's identities, Ye Hua's sacrifice, Qing Cang's defeat, and Mo Yuan's awakening.

Plot Progression

1. The Frozen God — Bai Qian serves Mo Yuan as Si Yin and falls in love with him. Mo Yuan sacrifices himself to seal Qing Cang, leaving his body preserved in ice.
2. A Betrothal Reborn — Bai Qian saves a child at a banquet and meets her betrothed, Ye Hua. Ye Hua recognizes her as his former love, while Bai Qian remains unaware of their shared past.
3. Memories Beneath The Wound — Su Jin's account of Su Su's suicide makes Bai Qian doubt Ye Hua's intentions. An artifact restores her memories and reveals the painful circumstances of her mortal life.
4. The Cost Of Deception — Bai Qian remembers being hidden as a maid, framed by Su Jin, and blinded by Ye Hua. Su Su's despair culminates in suicide, after which Bai Qian's memories are washed away.
5. The Final Sacrifice — Bai Qian rejects Ye Hua after recovering the truth. When Qing Cang breaks free, Ye Hua reseals him through self-sacrifice, completing Mo Yuan's soul and enabling his awakening.